The Food Thread

[Kuat]

I made fried rice. It tasted awesome, but most unhealthy thing I've eaten for a while. Fried in soy, chili sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, with chopped ginger and garlic. Veggies were onions and green onions, with eggs.



Best god damned carrot soup ever. I'm going to make this statement and stand by it. This is one of the best things I've ever made. God damn is it good.

[Muramasa]

I'm really craving fried rice.

[Kuat]

It wouldn't feel right to not post my new hats here either, so think of it as an encore presentation:



As for the carrot soup recipe:

3 tbls butter
1 tbl olive
2 onions
8 carrots
3/4 cup lentils
3 garlic
2 bay leaves
1 tbl cumin
1 tbl black pepper
1 tbl turmeric
Pinch paprika and coriander
1.5 tea cayenne
1.5 tea pepper flakes
6 cups CB
Lemon J and Sour Cream to taste
2 tblspoons tomato paste

Cut carrots into 1 inch slices, and dice onions and garlic. Boil lentils for ~20 minutes, then drain and set aside.. Fry onions with the spices in butter+oil, then add garlic and carrots and fry for about 10 minutes. Add lentils, fry for ~5 minutes. Add in chicken broth, tomato paste, and bay leaves. Bring to boil, and simmer on low for ~1 hr.

Let soup cool for ~30 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Place all ingredients into a blender, blend in batches until everything is pureed. Take resulting soup, place it back into pot, re add bay leaves, bring back to boil, then leave on low (while stirring constantly), adding in any spices/lemon juice/sour cream you desire.

Serve and enjoy.

[ShortPerson]

Hot Chocolate Layer Cake with Homemade Marshmallows:
(I did not make the marshmallows, so I will inclued the link if anyone wants to give it a try.) Link: www.finecooking.com/recipes/hot-chocolate-layer-cake-homemade-marshmallows.aspx





For the cake
6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter; more for the pans
13-1/2 oz. (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
3/4 cup canola oil
4-1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 cups granulated sugar
2-1/4 oz. (3/4 cup) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
2-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

For the frosting
2-1/2 cups heavy cream
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups granulated sugar
6 oz. (2 cups) natural unsweetened cocoa powder; more for decorating
1/2 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup = Honey. (Lyle's Golden Syrup is a British thing I think. I couldn't find it in the store.)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Make the cake

Position racks in the bottom and top thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter three 9x2-inch round cake pans and line each with a parchment round. Butter the parchment, then dust with flour and knock out the excess.

In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the butter, oil, chopped chocolate, and 1 cup water. Heat over medium heat until melted.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder. Pour the hot chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture and whisk until combined.
Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.

Set two pans on the top rack and the third on the lower rack. Stagger the pans on the oven racks so that no pan is directly over another. Bake, swapping and rotating the pans’ positions after 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on racks for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks, remove the parchment, and cool completely.

Make the frosting

In a 4-quart saucepan over low heat, combine the cream, butter, and vanilla bean and seeds and stir until the butter is melted. Remove the vanilla bean and whisk in the chopped chocolate until melted. Whisk in the sugar, cocoa powder, syrup, and salt until smooth—be sure the cocoa powder dissolves completely. Pour into a 9x13-inch pan and freeze until firm, about 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight.

Putting it together
What I did was I put a small bit of frosting on the plate to help it stick. From there I frosted the top part of the bottom cake. Then I place the top cake on, place in 4 skewers and let it sit for a few minutes. Your suppose to put in the fridge to set put the cake didn't fit in my fridge. From there I frosted the sides and the top and decorated.

[ShortPerson]

Wookiee-ookies (Wookie Cookies):
Link: www.starwarsholidayspecial.com/text/wookiee-ookies.htm



2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I add a little more)
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract (I add a little more of this too)
1 cup milk chocolate chips (use the whole bag)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (use the whole bag)

1. Preheat the oven to 375º

2. Put the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Stir with the wooden spoon until well mixed. Set aside.

3. Put the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in another mixing bowl. Using the electric mixer set on high speed, beat together until well blended and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and stir with the wooden spoon until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Scoop up a rounded tablespoonful of the dough and drop onto a baking sheet. Repeat until you have used up all the dough. Be sure to leave about 1 inch between the cookies because they spread as they bake.



5. Using pot holders, put the baking sheets in the oven. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.



6. Again, using pot holders, remove the baking sheets from the oven. Lift the cookies from the baking sheets with a Rock-Backed Omirdorme, and place on cooling racks. Let cool completely.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

[Captain Galaxy]

Marshmellows...

[You probably can't touch this.]

I missed out on the WOOKIE COOKIES!? I feel like ripping somebody's limbs from their bodies.

[Kuat]

Why did I come to this thread hungry?

Delicious pictures, Sara.

[ShortPerson]

Anta and I were going to make some Wookiee Cookies soon. I will make sure you get some Patrick.

Thank you Brian and I will post more pictures later of what I bake tonight. XD

[You probably can't touch this.]

Awesome. (-__-)

[ShortPerson]

Beignets: (makes 14 to 16)

Ingredients:
2 3/4 Cups flour and extra for dusting work area
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup water
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegetable oil for frying (or any kind of oil. I use canola oil)
Confectioner's sugar for dusting. (I added cinnamon to my powder sugar)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, water, egg and vanilla extract.

3. Stir the medium bowl into the large bowl.

4. Dust work area with flour. Place dough on it. Also dust the top of the dough. Pat in into a large 1/2-inch thick square.

5. Slice the dough into 2 1/2 inch squares.

6. Heat 2 inches of oil in a saucepan on the stove until it reaches 325 degrees (use a deep-fry/candy thermometer). Check the temp often.

7. Carefully drop 3 dough squares at a time into the hot oil. Fry for 3 minutes, then turn them over and fry for another 3 minutes.



8. Spoon out (use a spoon with holes) and place on a cooling rack with paper towels under it.



9. Once cool, dust with powder sugar and cinnamon and eat. XD

[Muramasa]

Jan 8, 2010 10:21:50 GMT -8 ShortPerson said:

Anta and I were going to make some Wookiee Cookies soon. I will make sure you get some Patrick.

Thank you Brian and I will post more pictures later of what I bake tonight. XD

When did you want to get together and make cookies anyways?

[Kuat]

Jan 8, 2010 23:42:29 GMT -8 ShortPerson said:

Beignets

Holy crap, I've been wanting to try a Beignets recipe. The only good thing I ever got from NAWLINs were those things. So damned good.

[Inaaca]

I tried them, and they were very good, if you wanted a second opinion on the Beignet recipe.

[ShortPerson]

Jan 9, 2010 0:32:53 GMT -8 Muramasa said:

Jan 8, 2010 10:21:50 GMT -8 ShortPerson said:

Anta and I were going to make some Wookiee Cookies soon. I will make sure you get some Patrick.

Thank you Brian and I will post more pictures later of what I bake tonight. XD

When did you want to get together and make cookies anyways?

Whenever is good. We can try on Sunday if Sean's mom will let us and if we clean our mess.

[ShortPerson]

Jan 9, 2010 0:46:57 GMT -8 Kuat said:

Jan 8, 2010 23:42:29 GMT -8 ShortPerson said:

Beignets

Holy crap, I've been wanting to try a Beignets recipe. The only good thing I ever got from NAWLINs were those things. So damned good.

Mine came our as round spheres instead of squares. But their yummy and best eaten fresh.

And yay! Sean likes them. ;D

[Inaaca]

Ugh, Sunday might not be all that viable. Just checked my schedule and I have a late shift. I get off at 8:30.

[Kuat]

Beef stir fry and Spinach and Bean porridge.

[Kuat]

Persian-style meatballs with yogurt and milk.



Also, apologies to the short one for not sending out what I promised

[ShortPerson]

It's ok. whenever you get a chance.